First Encounters
by Jennarei
Summary: It wasn't like the ninja knew their elemental powers, Sensei Wu, or each other for that matter! Along the way there had to be some sort of first meeting or encounter, if you will. This is a compilation of those encounters, and of course, all of the wonderful first impressions XD
1. Lightning

**Gah! I've been a very bad writer lately D: I'm so sorry for not updating, school and some family complications have made it less than easy to write. But I'm back, and ready to update! Just have patience with me, pwease :3**

**ENJOY!**

It happened when he was 7 years old.

The lightning hit.

He was only a boy, playing with his action figures underneath his covers, like every boy has done. Except he wasn't playfighting. He was taking them apart. He unscrewed panels and limbs with stolen tools, his pudgy hands struggling to fit around a handle built for the palms of a man. Still, Jay worked, small pink tounge sticking out of the corner of a small pink mouth.

For a split second, the small blue room was illuminated with a blinding light. Jay froze. What was that? The small boy slowly crawled out of his workspace, picking up the flashlight that he had been using to illuminate his project. He kneeled on his bed and peered outside his small window.

BOOM!

The trailer shook, and Jay screamed, dashing underneath his covers again. It had to be a monster! What else would make such a terrible roar? The boy stayed there, shaking, waiting for the terrible jaws of some demon crush him to bits, just like in all of those stories the older boys told in town. Nothing happened. After what seemed like an eternity, Jay finally decided to risk a peek outside. The familiar junkyard greeted him with its piles of metal bits and peices, and nothing more. No monster, no frightning jaws full of sharp teeth. But...he couldn't see the stars. Clouds covered up the entire sky, preventing any light from shining through. Little Jay gaped. He had never seen so many clouds!

A drop hit the window with a sof tap. Jay's eyes widened. Water? The drop slid gently down the glass, wavering and zig zagging across the smooth surface. Another drop. And another. And another! Soon, the entire window was covered in the running drops of water, the taps melding together into a chaotic beat. Jay gasped. This was awesome! He laughed, putting a tiny hand against the cool glass, watching as the sandy terrain outside quickly darkned into mud. Jay giggled, enchanted by the strange sight. Always a curious one, he bounced off of his bed and grabbed his jacket, struggling to lace up his boots. He was going to feel what the falling water was like.

Sneaking quietly across the trailer, he managed to kneel down and squeeze through the doggy door (he never knew why they had one). Almost instantly, he was hit by cold drops of liquid, ones that quickly began to soak through his thin jacket. Jay gasped at the cold, a sensation he hardly felt here in the desert. He squeezed his eyes shut and wiped his eyes at a vain attempt to clear the water. Eventually though, he gave up. Instead, he watched the water drip and pool in empty car hulls, bowls, freezers. He extended a hand to catch the water, and giggled as it overflowed and poured onto the ground. Soon, Jay was running all around the empty ground in front of the trailer, sliding in mud and jumping in puddles. He hummed to the melody of drops hitting metal all around him and opened his mouth to drink some of the falling water. He played and sang and splashed until he was soaked to the bone.

CRACK!

A deafening crash filled his ears and he slammed his hands over them. The sky was filled with a blinding light so bright that all Jay could see was white. The booming crack seemed like it was coming from everywhere, above below, next to him, behind him! It rattled his teeth and shook the metal bits on his boots. He screamed, thinking that the monster had finally got to him. Where else would the roar be coming from?

It suddenly stopped as quick as it had come.

Jay stood, frozen, paralyzed with fear and awe as he watched flashes of electricity danced across his vision. What had happened? Was the monster gone? Why did he feel so warm? He looked down, the crackling of currents filling his ears. His feet were also covered in the strange blue lights! He experimentally shook a foot and watched as the lights wavered, but stayed. The dancing, erratic lights seemed to jump in and out of his skin, filling his body with glorious tingles. No monster.

He blinked, and the world became a blinding blue, not black. He giggled, trying to swipe at the brightness flying in his vision. The lights began to fade, and he felt oddly sad that they were leaving. They made him happy and tickled him to the core. Jay wiggled his fingers and tried in vain to catch the strange glowing things.

"JAY!" a voice screamed. Before he knew it, his father had run out into the rain and was holding him, running his hands across his face, muttering under his breath. "What were you thinking?!" Jay tried to speak, but Ed pressed him to his shoulder, his hand strong against his head. The lights were gone now...Jay felt oddly empty. He suddenly felt a biting cold strike him to his core, and he shook. Ed picked him up and ran back indoors, oblivious to the wimper of the boy in his arms. Once they were inside, Jay was transferred from the arms of his father to the embrace of his mother.

"Oh, Jay, you're alright!" she squeezed him so tight he couldn't breathe. Jay was still silent, trying to figure out what had happened or where the lights went. His parents dryed him and fretted over him and chastised him, but Jay payed attention to none of it. He was still thinking of the blinding flash and terrifying crash, and wonderful tingles that surrounded him, were in him. Jay was consumed by those few seconds. He could still feel the heat that was in limbs, the tickling sensation of the blue lights dancing across his skin, almost seeming happy to be with him.

When Jay was finally being tucked in once more (and chastised again for stealing his father's tools), the boy uttered his first words in over an hour.

"What is it?"

"What?"

"What is it?" he repeated again, hoping his father knew what the light was, why it felt so good.

"It's rain."

"The light?"

"What? No, the water, son." he chuckled and kissed his forehead. Jay sighed, becoming frustrated.

"The light Daddy, what's the light?"

"You mean the lightning?" Ed asked, looking out the window. Jay sucked in a breath. Lightning. It sounded beautiful, fast, dangerous. From the lull of the L, the sharpness of the T and the speed of which the name was said, Jay loved it.

"Lightning." he whispered. The name echoed in his head long after his father left the room and there was nothing left but Jay and the rain.

**So, how did you like it? Tell me all of your opinions on this new little series I started! (I really got to finish something before I start a new project...)**


	2. Flames

**Hi! I had this on file, and was going to wait until later today to post it (seeing as it's past midnight XD) But I couldn't wait! Here's Kai's first encounter :)**

**ENJOY!**

Rea had seen it. Rea had seen her son when it happened. She had no idea that the old man was actually right, that her son was actually gifted. Oh, but did Kai's first New Year's prove her wrong...

She had been cleaning up after their little celebration. It wasn't a huge party, more like a small gathering with what friends they had in their new village. Still, several intoxicated young men and women made quite a mess when playing games and well...doing anything.

"Hey, hey hey hey hey hey hey...HEY!" Keni slurred, stumbling on his own two feet. He smelled strongly of alcohol and Rea personally hated the stench. She never drank enough to get her drunk, but her husband had no such moral restrictions. "You know...you're very pretty. And I! I want to kiss you..." He swayed slightly before leaning forward. Rea rolled her eyes and pushed him away, giggling as he struggled to stay on his feet.

"Just get to bed. You know you're going to have such a hangover in the morning..."

"What? Me?" he seemed so idiginant that Rea had to swallow a laugh. "I can do no such thing!" he almost shouted in Japanese, momentarily abandoning their second language - english. "I am perfectly soberrrr at the *hiccup* I can even count to twenty!" He pointed at his mouth and lost his balance, tripping over the rug in their living room and landing flat on his face. He groaned. Rea now laughed outright, holding on to the wall for support. She kneeled beside him and helped roll him over, kissing his nose when he finally layed on his back. He gave her a lopsided smile.

"Now, let's get you to bed, hm?"

"Sure. Why not? But...what about, what about about...about our son?"

"I'll feed him and then he'll be out like a light."

She had no idea how right she was.

When her husband was safely in bed and drunkenly mumbling to himself, Rea made her way to Kai's room, where he stayed for most of the celebration.

"There's my handsome boy!" She cooed, smiling as Kai gugled in response. He was standing, using the crib edge for balance. She made her way to the crib and picked up the eager 1 year old, who immediately grabbed a fistful of her long ebony hair. "Ow, ow ow!" she winced.

"Mama!" Kai squealed, pulling on the locks in his tiny hand. Rea gave a slight laugh and pried his hand open, setting him down on the floor. She lit a candle and turned off the main light to set a more sleepy mood for the baby while she got his food.

"You know, you were lucky you weren't out there." She said, mixing some formula. Kai gurgled in response. "They were just drinking to their heart's content, talking about nonsense and stumbling on their own two feet." She jumped at a crash and turned, fearing the worst. Her heart leapt into her throat.

Kai was on fire.

The candle was resting on the wood floor, the wax dripping and creating strange patterns. The flames however, the flames were crawling up Kai's arm, swirling and swaying almost tenderly. Rea tried to scream, horror flooding her senses. Kai looked unfazed, hypnotized almost by the bright fire. He smiled and laughed as it danced across his chest, jumped on his toes, curled around his messy hair. His skin remained a healthy pink, his eyes remained a bright brown. The flames seemed to flirt with him, dancing on his skin and caressing him like a lover. They spread no where else. Rea's legs gave out and she hit the floor, a scream finally escaping her lips.

"Mama?" Kai wimpered, suddenly snapped out of his trance with the fire. The bright flames, once covering every inch of the boy, now died out in the blink of an eye. Rea was now left in total darkness with her son. "Mama?" Kai asked again, panic seeping into his voice. Rea was having trouble breathing. What just happened? Kai was alive? Was it all in her imagination? A powerful wail from her hysterical child brought her back to reality. She scrambled to her feet and turned on the lights, immediately scooping Kai into her arms.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Mama's here..." she whispered, bouncing him in her arms. Her frightened voice did nothing to calm him though, and he continued to wail. It was only when she kissed his head did he quiet down. Rea set him down to sleep, her thoughts going a million miles a minute. What did Kai do? How was he alive? He didn't even have a scratch on him! Rea took a shakey breath when he finally drifted off to sleep. Her limbs feeling like jelly, she sank into a rocking chair in the same room.

He was right. The old man was right.

**So, this one's a little different, and I'm not sure if I like it as much as the one about Jay...oh well XD! Tell me what you think please! I love to hear your opinions/feedback**


	3. Ice

**Hello! Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! It really makes me all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that you guys enjoy this ^-^ So onto Zane!**

**ENJOY!**

"There you go, that should fix the problem with your sight..." Julien muttered, sealing up the synthetic skin on Zane's face. The droid was currently off, and had been for the better part of an hour. This morning, Zane had woken up completely blind and utterly devastated. Today was the day that he was supposed to go outside for the first time. Julien had never been quite so confidant of his creation, and Zane had passed all of his indoor tests, so the inventor decided it was time. Today however, Zane's eyes decided to malfunction, and there was no way he was going to miss out on seeing the outside world. All he had ever known was the shop, and he was eager to discover more.

With the flick of a switch, Zane began to hum and whir back to life. Julien closed his chest panel and waited patiently.

"Father?" Zane asked, his voice coming out weak at first, but stronger eventually. His eyes, formally lifeless, suddenly gained an insight and depth that Julien never really understood.

"Yes? Can you see me?"

"Yes!" he answered, seemingly estatic. "I can! Better than before I believe." He smiled and tried to stand (it was always tricky to get back into the swing of things after a reboot). "So does this mean I can go outside?"

"Of course!" Julien chuckled. He ran his fingers through his brown locks as Zane cautiously took the stairs to the top. Every step got faster and faster until the droid was running up them. Julien struggled to keep up behind him. Suddenly, Zane froze in front of the door, eyes wide.

"Well?" Julien asked, gesturing towards the handle. "Aren't you going outside?".

Zane flexed his fingers. Blinking several times, he tentively extended a hand and placed it on the knob. With a quiet fear only Zane possesed, he creaked open the wooden door. A blast of cold hit the professor, and he shivered. Zane however, only parted his lips. His ice blue eyes wide with wonder, Zane took a shy step outside of the only home he ever knew.

He was greeted by a world of white. Snow and ice covered the ground and weighed down branches. Icicles glittered in the sun. Zane breathed in the cold, marveling how it felt in his body, how the icy air bit into his skin. The snow crunched underneath his feet, a noise that he had never heard before. It all seemed so wonderful...so new.

Julien watched with warm curiosity as Zane slowly reached down to touch the snow, as the droid rubbed it between his fingers.

"It's...cold. Like some of the drinks you give me." He said, turning to his creator. Julien nodded. "And wet."

"Do you know what it's called?"

"My databases tell me it's snow." Zane answered, picking up another handful. He hesitantly licked it, as if testing if it really was just water. Julien had to laugh as his droid quickly stuffed his mouth with the fluffy snow.

"Don't you want to explore?" the engineer asked, placing a hand on Zane's shoulder.

"Can I?"

"Of course!" he chuckled. Zane quickly smiled and ran out into the winter wonderland. Julien only watched fondly as his creation experimented with the snow, balling it up and buliding snowmans, or throwing himself down in it and creating snow angel after snow angel. Surprisingly, he didn't marvel at how well fleshed out his programing was, but at how much Zane was enjoying himself. He was having a genuinely good time, playing in the snow. And Julien was happy.

However, as the hours wore on, the engineer began to grow tired.

"Um, Zane?"

"Yes, father?" the droid turned from the small rabbit he was observing.

"I'm going inside now, alright? Come in when it turns dark."

"Yes father."

And so Zane explored and played on. Reveling in the new sights, tastes, and sounds. It was all amazing to him. That is, until a tree moved.

"Father?" he asked, brushing snow from his cheek. No response. Perhaps he was simply glitching...

No! Something definately moved that time. The robot stood slowly, an uncomfortable feeling spreading through his limbs. His databases said that trees never moved. Something hissed behind him. Oh dear...

"Oof!" he suddenly found himself face down in the snow, struggling for breath. What happened? He stumbled to his feet to find himself face to face with a hideous creature. His databases told him nothing about this! With skin that matched the surrounding trees perfectly, the creature had terrifying mandibles and glowing ruby eyes. Zane froze in fear, a feeling he had never encountered before. The monster hissed at him again, and raised a spindly leg to crush his head and send him into oblivion.

"Father!" he yelled, fearing for his life. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for his skull to be crushed into bits of metal. Instead, he heard a swoosh and faint crackling. What he assumed to be the tree monster howled in protest before abuptly stopping.

Shaking with fear, Zane opened his eyes to see the creature entirely encased in ice! He quickly scrambled to his feet, and began to run back to the shop. He wasn't about to stay there when the thing broke out!

"What...?" he stopped in his tracks when he saw ice covered his fingers and ran in thin veins all the way to his elbow. It didn't feel cold or hurt, and Zane had no memory of the ice beforehand. He shook his hand but the ice stuck on, spreading farther up his arm. Zane gasped, finally registering how unnatural this was, and tried hitting his arm against a tree.

"Get off! GET OFF!" he growled, smashing his arm harder and harder against the trunk of the tree, feeling his iron structure groan in protest underneath his skin. Finally, the ice fell away with an angry crack, only to swirl around his feet. "What is happening?!" he yelled, frustrated and afraid of the cold, glittering ice at his feet. The glittering ice pieces blended with the snow below him and suddenly, he was surrounded by cold wind. It covered every inch of his body, seeping into any gap it could find and flitting between every cog, wire and plate within him. It tickled, and Zane laughed in spite of himself. Oddly enough, he was no longer afraid or unnerved by the ice that was settling in various patterns on his skin. It felt almost familiar. And warm...

"Zane?" Julien asked, panting at the entrance to the shop. The strangely warm ice suddenly stopped its journey through him, and Zane was left oddly disappointed. "What happened? WHAT IS THAT?!" his eyes finally found the animal trapped inside of ice. Zane barely had time to explain before he was rushed inside and sent down the stairs by a clearly frightened Julien.

Hours later, when Zane had finally finished his tale, and Julien had set up security measures in case more of the horrifying animals came back, the two sat in silence by the fireplace.

"What happened to me, father?"

"I...I don't know." Julien answered. Zane felt afraid, and yet marveled. His father always knew what was happening to him. He created him, and could fix any problem or explain any action that happened regarding Zane. But this...this strange ice was something that his father could not explain, something that Zane had managed to create by himself...and it was almost wonderful.

**So, how'd it turn out? Of course, Zane was always a man, so his encounter was a little different XD I hoped you guys liked it! Don't forget to leave a review ;)**


	4. Earth

**I AM ON A ROLL! I don't know why, but I'm cranking out new chapters like crazy XD I hope you guys like this chapter, my sister said it brought out the feels :)**

**ENJOY!**

How had he gotten into this?

How had he gotten here, laying in the school yard, surrounded by three other boys?

"What are you going to say now?!" a kick to the gut. Cole winced and tried to get up, but someone shoved him back down into the dirt.

"Look at him, he fights like he dances!" one of them cackled. Cole vaguely wondered if somewhere, boys were beaten up because they _could_ dance.

"Aw, the little failure gonna cry now?" another kick, this time to his back.

"Naw, he'll just triple tiger sashay us all to death!" the third one jeered, kicking dirt in his face.

"Stop!" he cried, just wanting to go home. It wasn't his fault he wasn't as good as the others! It wasn't his fault his father made him perform the triple tiger sashay for his dance final!

"Cry baby!" someone shouted, kicking him again. "He's just a crier, all sad cause he can't dance!"

"I would tell him to run to his dirty mama, but she's six feet under!"

This time, the wound went straight to his heart.

His mother was_ not_ dirty.

His mother was just taken away because she was too wonderful for horrible people like them.

Horrible, nasty people like them.

"Don't talk about my MOM!" he suddenly hopped to his feet, swinging out an arm to hit one of them, anyone. He felt his fist connect with something soft, and heard a terrifying crack.

"Ahh! MY MOUTH!" the first one screamed, curled up on the floor and gripping his mouth. Blood was spurting out of it, collecting in a dirty pool on the earth.

"John!" the others cried, rushing to their friend. Cole was suddenly struck with fear, one that screamed at him to run, run as fast as he could. But he couldn't move. He was buried up to his knees in dirt. It cemented him to the ground. He cried out, and tried to dislodge his feet, but the dirt simply stayed put, spreading out to the ground in a strange circle. Cole tried to dig himself out, but the earth seemed to roll off his fingers and down his arms, clinging to his skin at every opportunity.

"What did you do?!" Someone screamed. Cole was vaguely aware of someone calling for a teacher. He was still fixated on the earth though, and how it stuck to him. It was weird, and yet cool at the same time. He forgot all about the wailing child with a broken jaw yards away from him. All he could focus on was the strange strength he felt in every fiber of his body. He felt like he could take on anyone. Anything.

"COLE STONE!" a man yelled, shattering his trance. The third grade science teacher was stalking towards him, a very disapproving glare on his face.

He received detention that day, and his father was fined with John's medical bill. His father read him the riot act, and how fighting was below a young gentleman like him, but Cole didn't listen. He was still marveled at how he had managed to break that boy's jaw. He was a lanky little 7 year old, how could he do something like that? No one else seemed to question it.

"I just can't believe you assaulted that boy..." his father sighed, rubbing his temples. "I mean, how could you attack him and fracture his jaw?! What did you use, a pole? A bat?"

"My fist." he finally whispered, mind partially still focused on his new found strength and in the strange mountain of dirt.

"Your what?"

"All I did was punch him."

"You go to your room this instant young man! And don't come out until you tell me the truth!"

"But I'm telling you-"

"ROOM!" his father looked so angry with his scrunched brows and disapproving scowl, that Cole hurriedly ran to his room and into bed, cuddling up to his plush dragon for safety.

"I was telling the truth." he whispered to his dragon, unhappy tears welling in the corners of his eyes. "I did it all by myself."

**So, how'd I do? Please let me know your thoughts? They mean a lot to me! :D**


	5. ZANE

**Hallo! I bring thee this little one-shot based on everyone's favorite nindroid! I hope you all like it**

**ENJOY!**

"Third times the charm..."

After all the years. All the research, the time, the criticism, the work.

After all the heartache...

This was it.

Julien closed the chest panel until it locked with an almost inaudible click. The air in his hidden shop was still, tense with his own anticipation and fear. Z.A.N.E was ready.

**Zoetic**

**Assisting **and

**Neutralizing**

**Entity**

He would protect and serve those who couldn't for themselves. He would be a beacon for a new, brighter age of technology and respect. He would revolutionize Ninjago...If he would turn on.

The weary professor licked his lips and adjusted his glasses, anxious for his creation to open his eyes. To speak for the first time. To live. He could hear the nearly silent whir of gears and cogs and other such mechanics starting to turn. The engineer held his breath.

Z.A.N.E's fingers twitched. The tiniest of movements sent Julien's heart soaring. Z.A.N.E's mouth slowly opened, and his chest gently rose with his first breath. His eyelids slid open to reveal pure icy blue eyes. His pupils dilated and contracted until he could see clearly. He blinked, and stared at Julien with an almost empty gaze.

"Hello."

Julien could barely contain a smile. "Hello...do you know who I am?"

Z.A.N.E answered with a slight nod, his lips twitching into a small frown.

"I am Julien. I created you." the estatic man kneeled in front of his greatest acheivement and licked his lips again, overcome with exitement. It coursed through his veins like liquid lightning.

"You...are my creator." Z.A.N.E stated, the words forming hesitantly in his mouth.

"Yes." Julien breathlessly answered, reaching out to gently touch his cheek. He looked so real...so innocent and childlike. Z.A.N.E was designed to look like a man, but with his wide eyes and slightly open lips, he looked more like a confused boy.

"You...are my..." he blinked, seemingly struggling to speak. For a moment, Julien panicked, a million thoughts of what could have gone wrong whirling in his head. "You are my father."

Julien was speechless. He had worked on Z.A.N.E's programming and databases longer than he worked on the actual mechanics of his body. Never, not once did he imagine that he would refer to him as a parental figure. He never thought that he would see him as something with emotional value, although he was designed to be exactly like a man. Julien never imagined, that a simple statement from a creation he had molded and dreamt up himself, something as innocent as this, would touch him so profoundly.

"Yes. I am your father."

Zane smiled, the gesture reaching his eyes, and illuminating something within him. "And I am your son, Zane." he said proudly, pointing to himself. He did not realize that it was a title, Julien marveled. He believes that it is a name.

"Yes, you are Zane." he answered, smiling back at the excited droid. Somehow, a title didn't seem to fit him. Z.A.N.E was for something cold, something mechanical. But as Julien helped him take his first steps, as he watched him discover the shop, as he would hold his hand and excitedly listen to every word Julien said and marvel at everything Julien showed him...

He seemed alive.

Z.A.N.E was not a robot, or a droid. He was a boy. A boy that would someday serve the world. As night fell on them, Julien showed Zane to his bed, where his sophisticated system would recharge on the natural human phenomenon sleep. None of that crossed Julien's mind though, as he tucked him in. He looked up at Julien with something in his eyes. It almost seemed like a human was staring up at him. A being with a soul.

"Goodnight, Zane." he whispered, softly kissing his forehead. And as Zane's eyes slid closed and his lips stilled in a content smile, Julien felt something well up in his chest.

Zane. His son.

He had a son.

**So, how'd you like it? Thanks for all of your support you wonderful readers you! :D**


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